I think the best gifts are not the ones that cost the most money, but the ones that are the most thoughtful. All these ideas take a little bit of time and effort, but I guarantee the special recipient in your life will never forget it! These ideas are especially great for a big birthday or anniversary.
1) Fill envelopes with written surprises for someone you love.
You can have lots of friends and family members participate, and the envelopes can contain anything from poems, to memories, to a date night. You can tailor it to any occasion whether it’s a birthday, graduation, or Mother’s Day!
(via ohhappyday)
2) Balloon Pictures
There are several variations you could do for this idea. For a birthday, attach pictures from birth – present age to helium filled balloons, or substitute pictures for written memories. For an anniversary, attach pictures equal to the number of years you’ve been dating or married, and write a little love note on the back.
(via theshabbynest)
3) Memory Envelopes
This is my favorite idea for a big birthday. Ask friends and family to share a special memory of the birthday boy/girl. If it’s a 60th birthday, get 60 memories. Place each memory in an envelope and have them open each one up individually.
(via nothingbutbonfires)
What is the most thoughtful gift you’ve ever given or received?
guest
My husband (then boyfriend) gave me a board game “Lovopoly.” There is a service that makes the game, it’s like Monopoly, but the streets are named after your favorite places, or places of high significance.
Also, recently a friend celebrated her birthday and her best friend compiled a recipe scrapbook for gift. All of us contributed favorite recipes.
guest
ooo, i like the envelope idea. must try sometime!
rose / 937 posts
Eh, I honestly don’t think these are all that special. At least I wouldn’t be like “omg such a thoughtful boyfriend” for getting these. I’d rather a present that demonstrates that my SO knows aspects of my personality and who I am in general. And balloons with pictures doesn’t really demonstrate any knowledge into me. But I also don’t feel like I’m hard to please gift-wise. Hell, if my hypothetical boyfriend got my a few CDs or something from artists I love then that would be more than enough to make me happy.
guest
holy crap these ideas are SO CUTE!! I am using them all ! Perfect timing for my mums 60th birthday this year
guest
my boyfriend, for valentines this year, (we agreed not to spend any money) he blew up 12 red balloons and inside each balloon he wrote on a piece of paper a reason why he loves me, or something he loves about me, and rolled it up and put it in the balloon. I came home from work and he said he got me a ‘dozen red roses’ and handed me the balloons, then handed me a knife and told me to start popping. haha it was really sweet.
hydrangea / 59 posts
“Eh, I honestly don’t think these are all that special. … But I also don’t feel like I’m hard to please gift-wise.”
@ashleynicole - I can’t speak to your gifting needs, but you are pretty hard to please blog-wise!
guest
These are such cute ideas! The ones other people have mentioned are really cute too (@babybug329@xanga - that board game idea is really really thoughtful)!
guest
4. Tequila
guest
very cute
guest
love the last idea!
guest
awww # 1 and 3 are so sweet.
will note this for future reference
though i doubt any bf of mine would appreciate this gesture…seeing as the guys i like are mostly rather…practical/unromantic above all else =_=
daisy / 603 posts
Thanks for posting this!! And perfect timing, my fiance and I are celebrating our second anniversary on Friday!! I love the envelope idea, but I don’t want to only make him 2. Maybe I’ll make 24 for each month we’ve been together?
Also, I love the lovopoly idea that @babybug329@xanga - mentioned. Unfortunately I don’t have much money and it probably wouldn’t get here by Friday. Maybe I’ll just make something cute for now and keep the Loveopoly idea in my head for something else
Sounds perfect for Valetentine’s day!
guest
Oh, nice! I’m totally using #3 for my husband’s upcoming 30th birthday! I’ll get him something practical, too, because while he’ll enjoy reading the anecdotes, he’s not really the wordsy/mushy type.
Thanks for solving my gifting dilemma!
guest
For New Years one year, I gave my boyfriend a jar of 365 hand-written little notes. One each one I’d written a funny memory that we shared, an inside joke, a reason why I loved him, or my wishes for our future. He was to open one every day, first thing in the morning. When he traveled, he even packed the right number of notes to open while he was away!
guest
cool! i love these ideas!
peony / 1 posts
For my girlfriends birthday last year I took a green eggs and ham book
(her favorite as a kid) and re-did all the pictures and rhymes so that
they were memories of our relationship, and significant things that
we’ve done. Attached the new story into a hard cover of the green eggs
and ham book, and she loved it